Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - Appeal to Shutterstock

bluesunshine · Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 18 Location: Europe

Something to say...

I registered my account at Shutterstock some days ago. I sent my documents. I really have to trust Shutterstock if am sending documents. Yesterday I prepared the first 10 photos. I tried to think what "could" be useful for costumers. So I needed longer, although I have many many photos, I decided for some. I submitted the photos. The submission is rejected. Now I should wait 30 days to try again.

Technical issues like "Poor Lighting", "Focus" are ok. I understand them. This can be corrected.

But, "Composition--Limited commercial value..." is something which Shutterstock could prevent much better.
If we don't know what you exactly want, but you know it, otherwise you would not write us "Composition--Limited commercial value...", then you should tell us.

Appeal to Sutterstock:

1. Prevent rejection uploads
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Ask the people what they want to upload, should select the "section" first before uploading a photo, then write them on the website dynamically your actual "what we need at the moment", after the people selected the category in the drop down list. Then people will not upload photos, which will be anyway rejected.

Whould have following Advantages:

-> This will reduce your web traffic. So reduce your costs. How much you pay for web traffic ??? I guess it's not cheap.

-> Me and maybe we all dont want to sit in front of the computer, waste time to upload photos which will be anyway rejected.

And if you honor my idea, do it, and see that you have less traffic costs, you could put some money on my account, some percentage like 10 - 20 of your saving would be fine and fair. *g*

2. step by step approval
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The thing what I want to mention is. 30 days is a looong time. Why can't you approve photos step by step, separately. If we people have then 7 photos approved in sum, you can accept them as photographers. Because so, like now, we both, you and we, waste time to get soon as possible good photos on Shutterstock.
Think about it this.

We all want the best. Shutterstock and the photographers. We have to cooperate more.

tobkatrina · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:26 pm

It is not Shutterstock's job to teach potential photographers what they want. You can always do that yourself first by looking at the top sellers. Being in this business means being proactive as a photographer and as a business person. Some things you just gotta do yourself.

That's what puts the line between professionals and hobbyists.

The 30 days? I think it's too short. I spend way too many a day looking at horrible shots submitted by people who don't research and send in family album type snapshots. If it were my site, I would make it 6 months. In my opinion, that's how long it would take a photographer who doesn't have the skills to come up to par artistically and technically. :)

This isn't Getty but you need to treat it like it is.

luceluceluce · Joined: 10 Dec 2008 Posts: 1545 Location: mostly

that 30-day wait period sent me out taking hundreds and hundreds of shots to improve my skills... and I got in the second time. I think a wait is a good idea.

annabelle496 · Joined: 26 May 2009 Posts: 55

jmci · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 1380 Location: Northern Ireland

If an image has low commercial value BECAUSE OF THE COMPOSITION, that's not something that Shutterstock can specify in advance as part of a blanket declaration. They judge each image on it's own merits.

maryo990 · Joined: 28 Oct 2008 Posts: 37

I have had an image rejected for " low commercial value" . Two weeks later I have uploaded it again. Now it is one of my best selling images.